Think the only connection between the inauguration and the Washington Nationals' arrival in town is that President Bush is a baseball fan? Wrong.
In an e-mail last week to the more than 16,500 fans who have put down deposits on season tickets, the Nationals said they expected to have invoices to those fans by tomorrow. But because the same ticket company -- a division of Ticketmaster -- handled tickets for the inauguration, the process was delayed, according to Nationals President Tony Tavares. Instead, the first invoices will likely go out by mail tomorrow, Tavares said, and fans will have until Feb. 4 to pay the balance on their accounts.
"They were just swamped," Tavares said.
The club sent another e-mail to would-be season ticket buyers this week saying that the last invoices would be sent out by Tuesday and that all those who had made deposits would know exactly where their seats at RFK Stadium will be by a week from today.
Tavares said that the team's goal was to announce partial season-ticket plans around Feb. 1. Team officials are finalizing the format for those packages.
-- Barry Svrluga
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